Lahore: Speakers at a seminar here on Wednesday were of the view that women played a pivotal role in livestock sector and promoting women’s economic empowerment can be challenging.
USAID Deputy Mission Director Clay Epperson, Additional Secretary Livestock and Dairy Development Department (L&DDD) Punjab Khalid Mehmood, and Vice Chancellor University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha participated in the seminar held at UVAS to discuss the accomplishments of the Women Empowerment in south Punjab through Investment in Rural Economy (WEinSPIRE) initiative launched last year by USAID’s Punjab Enabling Environment Project (PEEP). WEinSPIRE empowers women involved in the livestock sector of south Punjab by facilitating linkages between public and private sector stakeholders.Partners in this initiative include the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry Bahawalpur (WCCIB), three livestock breeders associations, UVAS, and L&DDD, Punjab.On the same occasion, USAID PEEP signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the First Women Bank Limited to formalise the bank’s partnership with the WEinSPIRE initiative. Also, USAID Deputy Mission Director Clay Epperson, VC UVAS Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, and Additional Secretary L&DDD Khalid Mehmood unveiled three herd books for Nachi, Beatal and Lohi Livestock Breeders Welfare Societies to promote animal record keeping and traceability necessary for improved international market access.Speaking at the seminar, USAID Deputy Mission Director Clay Epperson said, “Promoting women's economic empowerment can be challenging. USAID has developed a creative and powerful platform through WEinSPIRE, which involves mobilising a unique network of partners in reaching out to women livestock farmers to help improve their access to markets, finance, information, and veterinary services – all essential ingredients of a functional rural market system.”Since WEinSPIRE was launched in 2017, hundreds of rural women farmers have joined partner livestock associations, more than 2,000 women have been trained in improved animal husbandry practices, and over 30,000 have received microloans from banks to initiate or expand their livestock businesses, he said.Speaking at the event, Additional Secretary L&DDD Khalid Mehmood said, “Women play a pivotal role in Pakistan’s livestock sector; they will be able toUSAID’s Punjab Enabling Environment Project is a five-year, $15 million project to spur investment and improve the business environment in the livestock, dairy, and agriculture sectors of Punjab.UVAS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha said, “Empowering women in livestock can help boost Pakistan’s domestic economy. This initiative will build the capacity of female livestock farmers to enhance the meat and milk production potential of indigenous livestock breeds and improve their entrepreneurial capacities and capabilities.”
PHP: Punjab Highway Patrol has arrested five dacoits while planning a robbery and recovered illegal arms, arrested 24 gamblers and recovered cash Rs19,740, three mobile phones and registered 288 cases against commuters who violated traffic rules.
PHP Post Noor Pur has arrested five dacoits; Nadeem, Munir, Ahtisham, Qurban and Shafqat who were planning a robbery and recovered five pistols, seven bullets and two magazines from their possession. PHP teams have registered 288 cases against traffic rules violators while seized 47 motor bikes on using unregistered number plates and also arrested three bike riders named Bilal, Zaffar and Zeeshan on charges of wheelie-doing.
Furthermore, PHP teams have arrested 24 gamblers and recovered cash and three mobile phones from them. PHP teams have also arrested 11 drunken who were disturbing public peace and arrested 18 culprits on using prohibited gas cylinders in public vehicles.